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Where refugees in Ohio are arriving from

Written by:
March 7, 2024
Robsonphoto // Shutterstock

Where refugees in Ohio are arriving from

During the past five decades, the U.S. has resettled over 3 million refugees, making it one of the leading countries for finding new homes for people fleeing violence, persecution, and war.

In 2021, then-President Donald Trump lowered the annual cap of refugees that could be admitted into the country to 15,000. Even as the Biden administration has raised the ceiling to 125,000, the annual number of refugees arriving in the U.S. didn't immediately bounce back to pre-Trump administration levels. The numbers are increasing though, with over 25,000 refugees arriving in the U.S. in the 2022 fiscal year, twice the 2021 total.

Refugee arrivals during the 2023 fiscal year dramatically outpaced the prior two years, reaching over 60,000 from October 2022 to September 2023.

In February 2024, the greatest number of refugees admitted by the U.S. came from Congo, Syria, and Afghanistan. Each nation faces a unique set of circumstances that can make their citizens unsafe if they stay in their home country.

For the last three decades, Congo, also called the Democratic Republic of Congo, has been struggling with a series of civil wars and internal battles that have left millions of people displaced, both internally and externally, with many people fleeing to neighboring countries. Syria has seen more than 5 million refugees flee to neighboring nations since 2011 while a longstanding civil war rages, with an additional 6.8 million people forced from their homes and seeking refuge elsewhere in the country. Afghan refugees have been fleeing to neighboring countries for decades, especially to Pakistan and Iran, which combined host over 8 million Afghans.

Stacker referenced data from The Refugee Processing Center to compile statistics on the number of refugees and their countries of origin resettled in Ohio in February 2024.

February refugee statistics
Countries where refugees arrived from in February
To Ohio:
#1. Congo: 133
#2. Syria: 32
#3. Somalia: 25
#4. Sudan: 20
#5. Afghanistan: 17
#6. Ethiopia: 13
#7. Burundi: 12
#8. Eritrea: 11
#9. Republic of South Sudan: 10
#10. Venezuela: 9
#11. Nicaragua: 6
#12. El Salvador: 5
#13. Iraq: 4
#13. Central African Republic: 4
#15. Guatemala: 3
#15. Uganda: 3
#15. Ukraine: 3
#18. Russia: 2
#18. Uzbekistan: 2

To the U.S. as a whole:
#1. Congo: 2,426
#2. Afghanistan: 1,299
#3. Venezuela: 1,230
#4. Syria: 981
#5. Burma: 826

States that accepted the most refugees in February:
#1. Texas: 1,062
#2. California: 572
#3. Florida: 554
#4. New York: 507
#5. Arizona: 450

Read on to see the countries that Ohio has accepted the most refugees from since the start of the fiscal year in October 2023.

Cars, people and mopeds on the streets of Kinshasa.
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Katja Tsvetkova // Shutterstock

#1. Congo

Refugees that arrived from Congo since October 2023
To Ohio: 645

To the U.S. as a whole: 9,929
Top states receiving refugees from Congo
#1. Kentucky: 893
#2. Texas: 804
#3. Arizona: 747
#4. Ohio: 645
#5. New York: 600

People buying spices at a street market in Damascus
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hanohiki // Shutterstock

#2. Syria

Refugees that arrived from Syria since October 2023
To Ohio: 347

To the U.S. as a whole: 6,818
Top states receiving refugees from Syria
#1. New York: 673
#2. Michigan: 655
#3. Pennsylvania: 465
#4. Texas: 375
#5. California: 361

Afghan women in burkas pass by a man outside a market
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Canva

#3. Afghanistan

Refugees that arrived from Afghanistan since October 2023
To Ohio: 118

To the U.S. as a whole: 5,925
Top states receiving refugees from Afghanistan
#1. California: 1,228
#2. Virginia: 655
#3. Texas: 542
#4. Washington: 440
#5. Maryland: 272

Muslim woman in hijab waking on streets of Hargeisa
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Dave Primov // Shutterstock

#4. Somalia

Refugees that arrived from Somalia since October 2023
To Ohio: 110

To the U.S. as a whole: 1,283
Top states receiving refugees from Somalia
#1. Minnesota: 419
#2. Ohio: 110
#3. Georgia: 63
#4. New York: 62
#5. Arizona: 61

Many people on a dirt street in Shendi
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Matyas Rehak // Shutterstock

#5. Sudan

Refugees that arrived from Sudan since October 2023
To Ohio: 50

To the U.S. as a whole: 870
Top states receiving refugees from Sudan
#1. Missouri: 57
#2. Nebraska: 56
#3. Texas: 55
#3. New York: 55
#5. Pennsylvania: 54

Woman crossing road by Medlar Market in Asmara
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Dave Primov // Shutterstock

#6. Eritrea

Refugees that arrived from Eritrea since October 2023
To Ohio: 41

To the U.S. as a whole: 735
Top states receiving refugees from Eritrea
#1. Texas: 73
#2. Washington: 68
#3. Maryland: 61
#4. North Carolina: 45
#5. Ohio: 41

Woman carrying child to Lviv train station on snowy day
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Ruslan Lytvyn // Shutterstock

#7. Ukraine

Refugees that arrived from Ukraine since October 2023
To Ohio: 40

To the U.S. as a whole: 725
Top states receiving refugees from Ukraine
#1. Washington: 249
#2. California: 110
#3. Ohio: 40
#4. New York: 37
#5. Kentucky: 35

A horse-drawn taxi passes through a busy shopping area
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Chantal de Bruijne // Shutterstock

#8. Burma

Refugees that arrived from Burma since October 2023
To Ohio: 31

To the U.S. as a whole: 2,899
Top states receiving refugees from Burma
#1. Texas: 327
#2. Illinois: 297
#3. New York: 266
#4. Georgia: 192
#5. Arizona: 189

Elevated view of Baghdad street scene
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Focus and Blur // Shutterstock

#8. Iraq

Refugees that arrived from Iraq since October 2023
To Ohio: 31

To the U.S. as a whole: 762
Top states receiving refugees from Iraq
#1. California: 136
#2. Michigan: 95
#3. Nebraska: 45
#3. Texas: 45
#5. Washington: 38

An aerial view of caracas, Venezuela.
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Canva

#10. Venezuela

Refugees that arrived from Venezuela since October 2023
To Ohio: 27

To the U.S. as a whole: 2,504
Top states receiving refugees from Venezuela
#1. Florida: 501
#2. Texas: 304
#3. Georgia: 146
#4. Illinois: 143
#5. Tennessee: 110

Daily scene of tuktuks, street stalls and motorbikes in San Pedro
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Lauren Squire // Shutterstock

#11. Guatemala

Refugees that arrived from Guatemala since October 2023
To Ohio: 26

To the U.S. as a whole: 1,920
Top states receiving refugees from Guatemala
#1. California: 270
#2. Texas: 172
#3. North Carolina: 148
#4. Florida: 113
#5. New York: 87

Men gathered in the streets with motorcycles in Juba
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punghi // Shutterstock

#12. Republic of South Sudan

Refugees that arrived from Republic of South Sudan since October 2023
To Ohio: 25

To the U.S. as a whole: 610
Top states receiving refugees from Republic of South Sudan
#1. Nebraska: 59
#2. Texas: 56
#3. Connecticut: 53
#4. Colorado: 46
#5. Minnesota: 44

People walking on the street in Aksum
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Artush // Shutterstock

#12. Ethiopia

Refugees that arrived from Ethiopia since October 2023
To Ohio: 25

To the U.S. as a whole: 232
Top states receiving refugees from Ethiopia
#1. Minnesota: 67
#2. Ohio: 25
#3. Washington: 24
#4. Georgia: 21
#5. lowa: 11

People walking by a Cathedral in Granada, Nicaragua
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Milosz Maslanka // Shutterstock

#14. Nicaragua

Refugees that arrived from Nicaragua since October 2023
To Ohio: 17

To the U.S. as a whole: 786
Top states receiving refugees from Nicaragua
#1. Florida: 151
#2. California: 60
#3. Texas: 48
#4. Minnesota: 44
#5. North Carolina: 40

People walking through the Chitta Gate in the old town area of Lahore
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W_NAMKET // Shutterstock

#14. Pakistan

Refugees that arrived from Pakistan since October 2023
To Ohio: 17

To the U.S. as a whole: 481
Top states receiving refugees from Pakistan
#1. Pennsylvania: 63
#2. Virginia: 57
#3. Texas: 53
#4. North Carolina: 46
#5. Maryland: 30

Burundian people gather at an outside market
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Rostasedlacek // Shutterstock

#16. Burundi

Refugees that arrived from Burundi since October 2023
To Ohio: 12

To the U.S. as a whole: 217
Top states receiving refugees from Burundi
#1. Texas: 32
#2. New York: 29
#3. Arizona: 28
#4. Pennsylvania: 14
#5. Maryland: 13

An aerial view of El Salvador.
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Canva

#17. El Salvador

Refugees that arrived from El Salvador since October 2023
To Ohio: 9

To the U.S. as a whole: 691
Top states receiving refugees from El Salvador
#1. California: 84
#2. Texas: 80
#3. Maryland: 76
#4. Virginia: 55
#5. North Carolina: 53

Cars, people and mopeds on the streets of Kinshasa.
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Katja Tsvetkova // Shutterstock

#18. Congo

Refugees that arrived from Congo since October 2023
To Ohio: 7

To the U.S. as a whole: 9,929
Top states receiving refugees from Congo
#1. Kentucky: 893
#2. Texas: 804
#3. Arizona: 747
#4. Ohio: 645
#5. New York: 600

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sandis sveicers // Shutterstock

#18. Central African Republic

Refugees that arrived from Central African Republic since October 2023
To Ohio: 7

To the U.S. as a whole: 395
Top states receiving refugees from Central African Republic
#1. Texas: 45
#2. Missouri: 38
#3. Georgia: 31
#4. Michigan: 24
#4. Massachusetts: 24

An aerial shot of Tashkent TV Tower in Uzbekistan at sunset.
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Canva

#20. Uzbekistan

Refugees that arrived from Uzbekistan since October 2023
To Ohio: 6

To the U.S. as a whole: 40
Top states receiving refugees from Uzbekistan
#1. New York: 13
#2. Washington: 12
#3. California: 8
#4. Ohio: 6
#5. Minnesota: 1

Wide view of traditional, older buildings on a hillside in Yemen.
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Canva

#20. Yemen

Refugees that arrived from Yemen since October 2023
To Ohio: 6

To the U.S. as a whole: 87
Top states receiving refugees from Yemen
#1. Michigan: 16
#2. Georgia: 13
#2. New York: 13
#4. Arizona: 8
#4. Montana: 8

Woman walking on busy street in Kampala with basket of mangos
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Vlad Karavaev // Shutterstock

#22. Uganda

Refugees that arrived from Uganda since October 2023
To Ohio: 5

To the U.S. as a whole: 39
Top states receiving refugees from Uganda
#1. Massachusetts: 6
#2. Missouri: 5
#2. Ohio: 5
#4. Michigan: 4
#4. Washington: 4

An aerial drone view of niarela Bakamo, Mali
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Canva

#23. Mali

Refugees that arrived from Mali since October 2023
To Ohio: 4

To the U.S. as a whole: 138
Top states receiving refugees from Mali
#1. New York: 24
#1. Pennsylvania: 24
#3. South Carolina: 22
#4. Michigan: 12
#5. Missouri: 11

Women beside fishing boats on the beaches of Yoff
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Salvador Aznar // Shutterstock

#23. Senegal

Refugees that arrived from Senegal since October 2023
To Ohio: 4

To the U.S. as a whole: 45
Top states receiving refugees from Senegal
#1. Massachusetts: 13
#2. Texas: 6
#3. Ohio: 4
#4. Illinois: 3
#4. Pennsylvania: 3

People walking down a crowded street in New Delhi
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Filip Jedraszak // Shutterstock

#25. India

Refugees that arrived from India since October 2023
To Ohio: 3

To the U.S. as a whole: 7
Top states receiving refugees from India
#1. Oregon: 4
#2. Ohio: 3

Pedestrians on a street in Bogota, Columbia
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Matyas Rehak // Shutterstock

#25. Colombia

Refugees that arrived from Colombia since October 2023
To Ohio: 3

To the U.S. as a whole: 685
Top states receiving refugees from Colombia
#1. Florida: 98
#2. North Carolina: 59
#3. Texas: 54
#4. New York: 49
#5. Washington: 46

An aerial view of Kingston, Jamaica.
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Canva

#27. Jamaica

Refugees that arrived from Jamaica since October 2023
To Ohio: 2

To the U.S. as a whole: 13
Top states receiving refugees from Jamaica
#1. California: 2
#1. Colorado: 2
#1. Michigan: 2
#1. North Carolina: 2
#1. Ohio: 2

People crossing a busy street near Moscow’s business center
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YuryKara // Shutterstock

#27. Russia

Refugees that arrived from Russia since October 2023
To Ohio: 2

To the U.S. as a whole: 184
Top states receiving refugees from Russia
#1. Washington: 51
#2. California: 37
#3. Minnesota: 20
#4. North Carolina: 19
#4. Oregon: 19

Woman and child on busy market street of Copan
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amnat30 // Shutterstock

#27. Honduras

Refugees that arrived from Honduras since October 2023
To Ohio: 2

To the U.S. as a whole: 505
Top states receiving refugees from Honduras
#1. Texas: 87
#2. Florida: 65
#3. California: 33
#4. Georgia: 32
#4. New York: 32

Aerial drone shot of Conakry, Guinea.
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Flightseeing-Germany // Shutterstock

#27. Guinea

Refugees that arrived from Guinea since October 2023
To Ohio: 2

To the U.S. as a whole: 73
Top states receiving refugees from Guinea
#1. Colorado: 15
#2. Georgia: 7
#2. North Carolina: 7
#4. Arizona: 5
#4. Michigan: 5

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Canva

#27. Cameroon

Refugees that arrived from Cameroon since October 2023
To Ohio: 2

To the U.S. as a whole: 88
Top states receiving refugees from Cameroon
#1. Texas: 11
#2. Pennsylvania: 10
#3. South Carolina: 6
#3. Massachusetts: 6
#3. California: 6

People standing in front of shops by roadside
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Beata Tabak // Shutterstock

#27. Ivory Coast

Refugees that arrived from Ivory Coast since October 2023
To Ohio: 2

To the U.S. as a whole: 62
Top states receiving refugees from Ivory Coast
#1. Pennsylvania: 10
#2. Minnesota: 8
#3. Massachusetts: 7
#4. Arkansas: 5
#5. Florida: 4

Man driving a bicycle rickshaw on a Kathmandu street
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Shadow of light // Shutterstock

#33. Nepal

Refugees that arrived from Nepal since October 2023
To Ohio: 1

To the U.S. as a whole: 1
Top states receiving refugees from Nepal
#1. Ohio: 1

People walking on busy street with market stalls in Gaza
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Stephen Butler // Shutterstock

#33. Palestine

Refugees that arrived from Palestine since October 2023
To Ohio: 1

To the U.S. as a whole: 16
Top states receiving refugees from Palestine
#1. Illinois: 9
#2. New Jersey: 3
#3. Georgia: 2
#4. Ohio: 1
#4. Texas: 1

People gather in a urban park on the streets of Tehran
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Andrew V Marcus // Shutterstock

#33. Iran

Refugees that arrived from Iran since October 2023
To Ohio: 1

To the U.S. as a whole: 205
Top states receiving refugees from Iran
#1. California: 110
#2. Texas: 18
#3. North Carolina: 10
#4. Washington: 9
#4. Illinois: 9

This story features data reporting and writing by Emma Rubin and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 46 states.

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